Combination of drain cock, venthole and filling cap for supply tanks



Oct. 13, 1964 H. O. HEGNA COMBINATION OF DRAIN COCK, VENTHOLE AND FILLING CAP FOR SUPPLY TANKS Filed Nov. 20. 1961 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,152,699 C dlviBlNA'lltJN GE DRAEN (JOCK Q, VENTHQLE AND FILLKNG 6A1 FQR SUPELY TANKS Hans @lav Hegna, 21 Thaulows Vei, @slo 3, Norway Filed Nov. Ed, 1961, der. No. 154,392 3 Qlaims. (Cl. 137-587) The invention pertains to a new method of combined operation of drain cock, venthole and filling cap of a supply tank such as a fuel tank for a small gasoline engine. An important object of the invention is the elimination of all leaks from the drain cock to the ambient outside. The utilization of the filling cap as common means for the functioning of drain cock and venthole is further thought to increase convenience of operation when compared to ordinary systems where the drain cock often is located in a less advantageous place than is the filling cap and venthole.

The drawing illustrates the invention as an exploded sectional view of comprising parts.

A rather conventional filling cap 1 is furnished with two toggles 2 which will fit in two slots 3 of tube 4. The tube 4 is located within the profiled rim 5 of the filling hole 6. When the filling cap is removed, slots 3 will normally align with two slots 7 in filling hole 6. Extending slightly beyond rim 5 toggles 2 can be inserted through slots 7 and into slots 3; by turning the cap the toggles will be brought to ride against profiled rim 5 while at the same time forcing tube 4 to follow the rotating movement. A spring 8 is compressed between drain cock and tube 4 and will force toggles 2 against profile of rim 5. Thus it can clearly be felt when toggles snap into profile lows 9 and 10. In these positions the gasket 11 of cap 1 is not yet engaged and will allow ventilation of the tank.

By further turning of the cap to the right the gasket will finally seat and close the tank air-tight.

Two ears 12 on tube 4 prevent spring 8 from pushing the tube out of filling hole 6 when the filling cap is unscrewed-at the same time keeping slots 3 and slots 7 in line. By a small rotating movement the tube can, when the filling cap is oil, be removed by allowing cars 12 to clear through slots 7.

Spring 8 rests on a disc 13 which is prevented from rotating relative to tube 4 by grooves fitting onto two ridges 14.

Within a given range axial movement is not restricted; in operation spring ti will therefore keep the drain cock 15 down in its seat as well as force ears 12 against rim 5-or slots 3 against toggles 2 which again rest on rim 5. Disc 13 has a notched hole which fits onto the top of drain cock 15. Thus the Whole assembly 4, 13 and 15 must turn with filling cap 1. Holes drilled in drain cook 15 are brought in line with holes 16 and 17 in the valve body 18 whenever toggles 2 are resting in profile lows and 9 respectively. Low 10 represents a normal operating position with open ventilation and open drain cock while low 9 would correspond to a reserve position where a few more gills can be drained from the tank. Whenever cap 1 is turned all the way to seal the filling hole, or unscrewed to allow filling of the tank, the drain cock is closed. Valve body 18 is brazed to the bottom of the tank 19 and can be attached directly to a drain-line,

greases Patented Get. 13, 1964 I claim:

1. A filling, ventilating and drainage means for a liquid receptacle having a top wall provided with a filling opening and having a bottom wall; said means comprising a rim encircling said filling opening, an annular flange on and positioned concentrically within said rim and having an edge directed downwardly in said opening, the fiange having a slot therein and the flange edge having a profiled portion leading from one side of said slot and shaped to form a first camming part and a second camming part at a lower elevation than said first part, a tube having an open top end edge positioned adjacent to said fiange and having a notch in said top end edge for registry with said slot, the tube being supported for rotational movement and for limited axial movement, a cap for sealing engagement over and on said rim, a toggle linger on the underside of said cap adapted to pass through said flange slot and engage in said notch, resilient means yieldingly urging the tube toward the cap, the cap being rotatable in a direction to move said finger onto the first camming part of the profiled flange edge to axially move the tube against the resistance of said resilient means and thereby secure the cap short of a sealing engagement with the rim to permit ventilation of the receptacle and to simultaneously rotate the tube to a predetermined position, a drain valve in the bottom wall of the receptacle including a rotary plug coupled to the lower end of said tube, said plug being turned by the tube to valve open position upon rotation of the tube to said predetermined position, and said cap when further rotated in said direction moving said finger onto said second camming part of the fiange to draw the cap into sealing engagement with said rim and at the same time rotating the tube and valve plug to valve closed position.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the coupling of the valve plug with said tube comprises a plate member supported in the open lower end of the tube and bearing upon a top portion of the plug, the plug and plate being coupled against relative turning, the plate member being held against turning in the tube but having axial movement therein, and said resilient means comprising a coil spring under compression in the tube between the plate member and an overlying part of the tube.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said drain valve has two open positions and said profiled flange edge has a third camming part at a different elevation than the first camming part for engagement by said toggle finger, the said valve when turned to one open position upon movement of said finger onto the first camming part draining only a portion of the receptacle and when turned to the second open position upon movement of said finger onto the third camming part, fully draining the receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,508,754 Sprenger Sept. 16, 1924 1,990,604 Johnson Feb. 12, 1935 1,990,605 Johnson Feb. 12, 1935 2,685,890 Zastrow Aug. 10, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 429,956 Germany June 8, 1926 

1. A FILLING, VENTILATING AND DRAINAGE MEANS FOR A LIQUID RECEPTACLE HAVING A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH A FILLING OPENING AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL; SAID MEANS COMPRISING A RIM ENCIRCLING SAID FILLING OPENING, AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON AND POSITIONED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID RIM AND HAVING AN EDGE DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY IN SAID OPENING, THE FLANGE HAVING A SLOT THEREIN AND THE FLANGE EDGE HAVING A PROFILED PORTION LEADING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID SLOT AND SHAPED TO FORM A FIRST CAMMING PART AND A SECOND CAMMING PART AT A LOWER ELEVATION THAN SAID FIRST PART, A TUBE HAVING AN OPEN TOP END EDGE POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID FLANGE AND HAVING A NOTCH IN SAID TOP END EDGE FOR REGISTRY WITH SAID SLOT, THE TUBE BEING SUPPORTED FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT AND FOR LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENT, A CAP FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT OVER AND ON SAID RIM, A TOGGLE FINGER ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CAP ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID FLANGE SLOT AND ENGAGE IN SAID NOTCH, RESILIENT MEANS YIELDINGLY URGING THE TUBE TOWARD THE CAP, THE CAP BEING ROTATABLE IN A DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID FINGER ONTO THE FIRST CAMMING PART OF THE PROFILED FLANGE EDGE TO AXIALLY MOVE THE TUBE AGAINST THE RESISTANCE OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS AND THEREBY SECURE THE CAP SHORT OF A SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RIM TO PERMIT VENTILATION OF THE RECEPTACLE AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATE THE TUBE TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION, A DRAIN VALVE IN THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A ROTARY PLUG COUPLED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBE, SAID PLUG BEING TURNED BY THE TUBE TO VALVE OPEN POSITION UPON ROTATION OF THE TUBE TO SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION, AND SAID CAP WHEN FURTHER ROTATED IN SAID DIRECTION MOVING SAID FINGER ONTO SAID SECOND CAMMING PART OF THE FLANGE TO DRAW THE CAP INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RIM AND AT THE SAME TIME ROTATING THE TUBE AND VALVE PLUG TO VALVE CLOSED POSITION. 